The Best & Worst Places for Allergy Sufferers to Live

Spring is here, and with it comes longer days and higher pollen counts. As my fellow allergy sufferers know all too well, where there is pollen, there is sniffing, sneezing and watery eyes. With nasal allergies affecting more than 50 million people in the United States, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, it is important to know what you’re dealing with when it comes to potential allergens. No surprise, it all starts with where you live.

Luckily, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America creates an annual report that ranks the 100 largest cities in the continental United States to help those with allergies recognize, prevent and manage symptoms. The report is based on three major categories: pollen scores, the number of allergy medicines each patient uses and the number of allergists per patient. Each city received a total score out of 100, and the average score of all the cities was 57.54.

Check out this map to see the 10 best and worst U.S. cities for seasonal allergies and what their total score is. If you don’t see your hometown on the map, visit pollen.com for a day-to-day look at pollen counts across the United States and to see the current forecast in your city.